1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pusher bar for blanket batch chargers employed in feeding raw material batch into a glass melting furnace, the pusher bar being replaceable in situ, that is, without removing the batch charger from its operating position next to the glass melting furnace.
2. Description of the Prior Art
On blanket batch chargers commonly employed to feed raw material batch into a glass melting furnace, it is common practice to utilize a pusher bar or nose plate to push the raw material batch into the furnace. The pusher bar or nose plate is the portion of the charger which is exposed to the most heat and thus deteriorates most rapidly. To reduce the rate of deterioration, the pusher bar or nose plate is often water cooled. Nevertheless, during normal operation, it is necessary to replace the pusher bar from time to time.
Under current practices, the pusher bar is either constructed as an integral part of the charger plate or pan of the batch charger, or it is bolted in place. Accordingly, in order to repair or replace the pusher bar, it is necessary to remove the batch charger from its operating position near the glass melting furnace, a procedure which is quite often time consuming and significantly disruptive to production. Disruptions in production of a glass melting furnace have effects far beyond the time required to repair or replace the pusher bar, it being necessary to idle the furnace until the repairs have been completed and the batch charging operation can continue. Due to the substantial momentum involved in raising a furnace from an idling mode to a full production mode, substantial amounts of time, often hours, are required to bring the furnace back to a full production level of operation.